
Qass^ E_ 



S^f^ 



Book 



1^ 



3f4 



CUE NATION'S SORROW. 



Al ADDRESS. ^2! 



I>elivered in St. Luke's Churcli, Kacine. 



DA^Y OF THE FITNEKA.r 



PRESIDENT LINCOLN, 



^^-fKiL anil, iiKos, 



BY THE RECTOK, THE 



lh:v. A. D. BENEDICT. 



1 865. 

TOriiNAL I'UINT, UACIM: 
^ -^ 



m 



OUR NATION'S SORROW. 



AN ADDRESS, 



l>elivered in St. Luke's ClmrcU, R,aoine, 



DAY OF THE FUNERA.L 



PRESIDENT LINCOLN 



AF»I1IL lOth, 1S0S. 



BT THB BKCTOK, 



The Rev. A. D. BENEDICT. 



1865. 



JOtlBNAL PRINT, RACIN«. 



TO THOSE OP 

MY PAKISHIONEKS 

"WHO HAVE REQUESTED THE 

rUBLICATION OF THE FOLLOWING 

HASTILY WRITTEN ADDRESS, I DEDICATE 

THE SAME, ONLY REGRETTING THAT IT 

IS NOT MORE W.ORTHY OF THE 

MOURNFUL EVENT WHICH 

IT COMMEMORATES. 

A D. BENEDICT. 



O. Almighty and eyerliving God, onr only Refuge in this time of 
trouble, have compassion on our afflicted nation. "Out of the deep 
do we call unto thee, Lord ; Lord, hear our voice." In Tliymygterious 
wisdota the iniquitous devices of the wicked have prevailed. Under 
our mournful l)ercav*ment, we look to Thee for grace, that we may 
couuuit our sorely stricken heritage into Thy hands, knowing that Tliou 
canst make cren the wrath of man to praise Thee. Dfsert us not in 
this our hour of bitter trial. Bring good out of this fearful evil. Stay 
the hand of further violence. May all those evils which the craft and 
subtlety of the devil or man would work against us, l)y Thy good Provi- 
dence be brouglit to nought. In our adversity, .as well as prosperity, 
help lis to recognize Thy governing hand, and in all thiiiijs to be guided 
by Tliy blessed will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amin. 



merciful God and Ilravenly Father, who hast tauglit us in Thy 
Holy Word that Thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of 
men ; look with pity, we beseech Ther, upon the bereaved family of 
our lamented President. In Thy wisdom Thou hast seen fit to visit them 
with trouble and to bring distress upon thciu. Remember them, Lord, 
in mercy ; sanctify thy Fatherly correction to them ; endue their souls 
v%ith patience under their affliction, and with resignation to Thy blessed 
will; comfort them witJi a sense of Thy goodness; lift up Thy counte- 
nance upon them and give them penct^.: througli Jesus Christ our Lord. 
A:ii( 11. 



Father of mercies ai\d God of all comuirt, our only help in titne 
of need ; look down from licaven, we humbly bcaeech Thee, behold, 
visit and relieve Thy eick servant,* now brought near by murderous 
violence to the grave. Iiook upon him with the eyes of Thy merc> ; 
comfort him with a sense of Thy goodness^ ; preserve him from the 
tcm;)tations of the enemy; give him patience tinder his affliction : 
and in Thy good lime restore him to health, and enable hiia to lead tho 
residue of his life In Thy fear and to Thy g!ory. Or else give him grace 
so to take Thy visitation, that after this painful life ended he may dwell 
with Thee in life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

« lion. Wnl. H. S, viir.l. 



ADDRESS 



There are times when words are almost powerless. 
Times, when no language satisfies all that a speaker wishes 
to convey, or a congregation to hear. When tlse deep 
waters of the soul arc stirred by a common subject of in- 
terest — when the full heart sympatliizes oiihj \<\\h a cer- 
tain class of sentiments and cmutions — when the feelings 
are already elevated to a high pitch of intensity, it is 
indeed a diflicnlt task to continue the strain, and supply 
all that a subject worthily demands. In such a straitenii; 
position, I find myself to-day. I am sensible of my utici 
inability to do justice to ray task, to present thouglits that 
are fully suited to that most afilictive event which has 
called us together. Everywhere a gloomy iiall is s|.'read 
(H-er our beloved country. Numberless public and private 
buildings, h.allH and phtces of residerree are draped with 
the habiliments of death. Numberless tensples, also, dis- 
play to their gathered congregations the symbols of n 
grief that oppresses every heart. The vast body of our 
American people are at this time intently gazing on tlie 
fearful tragedy of our National vv-oe and degradation; 
absorbed with that terrible event, tvhich has shot its cold 
chills tlu-ongh every fibre of our body politic ; Avhich 
makes us almost doubt the trulii of that v/liich our very 



G 



prosciice in these courts forces us to believe. Yes, our 
Chief IMnoistrnte, onr honored President, is no more. His 
cold reninins now lie shrouded in dcMth, waitin«j^ to be 
borne to their last resting place in the grave. His death 
at any time, through any of those dis(5^ases that continu- 
ally ])i-('y n))on the living, would have occasioned sore 
lauientnfion. Yet, such a visitation would have been 
generally regarded as a wise dispensation of Almighty 
Pi-nvidcnce, an issue to which mortal man, without dis- 
tinction, is everywiiere ex])0sed. But that he should die 
by a base assassin, that a vile wretch, whom all would 
denounce as unfit to live, should, for himself or under the 
instigation of others, be allowed to execute the deed of 
blood, shocks onr reason and sorely tries onr faith. W 
our hearts nre ready to exclain), should this have been 
])ermitted? Why should he, who for the past four years 
has guided our National bark through most dangerous 
seas, until our hearts were gladdened with the sight of 
the jiromised haven, why should such a one be the des- 
tined victim of a dee]>1y laid scheme for clothing onr land 
ill iiinuruinir, and that, too, at a time Avhen thousands of 
hearts were lifted in gratitude, and thousands of voices 
wei-e chanting hymns of thaidcsgiving to the Giver of all 
victory for His merciful interposition in our behalf ? Was 
our ])revions elation too boastful, our rejoicing too godless ? 
Did we need, for our sore correction, thus in a moment to 
be cast down, until our lips are forced to kiss the dust? 
Yet, that this act of murderous violence Jias occurred in 
lh(i Providence of God, we cannot question, impossible as 
it may be for our weak minds to solve the perjtlexities 
attending it. God, we are assured, "makes even the 
wrath of man to praise Him, and the remainder of wrath 
He will restrain." The history of the world abounds in 
instances ot goodness being triumphed over by vice, of 
the innocent and unsus])ecting becoming the victims of 
base intrigue and villainous dccejition. Neros steeped in 
blood have seemingly llourished in great prosperity. In- 



7 

deed, the very foundation of our holy religion was laid 
when malicious Jews with wicked hands had crucified the 
Lord of Glory. It is on account of this seeniing ine- 
quality in the Divine dealings, that our faith is often sorely 
tried. Reason, as in the manner by which our Chief 
Magistrate has been removed from our head, searches in 
vain for a solution of the mystery. It is one of the sub- 
jects Avhicli it cannot grasp. But, blessed be God, we 
may trust. Faith is above reason. And, therefore, 
although now our sea is dark and tempestuous, yet we 
know that there is a loving Father walking upon the waters 
in the greatness of His strength. 

"God moves in a mysterious way. 
His wonders to perform." 

That our heaven is now covered with clouds, is no proof 
that He has deserted us. Ah, no ! The bright bow of 
His love and mercy will span the abyss. The sun of His 
blessing will yet shine upon our storm-tossed and troubled 
Nation. We shall yet, I doubt not, see the reason 
for such a mysterious dealing. We shall yet feel that we 
have cause to praise Him out of the very midst of the 
fires. The very iniquity of such a nefarious scheme 
shocks every noble and right feeling of our nature. Ni)t 
a man, with a spark of patriotism in his breast, or any 
suitable reverence for the office of the civil ruler as di- 
vinely ordained, but stands aghast at such a deed. "We 
are all as one body united in its condemnation. That 
wicked murder is already accomplishing its blessed woi k. 
The drapery of woe everywhere displayed speaks the 
pulsations of our common heart. It proves that we have 
common feelings and sympathies. Not only North, hut 
South, will such a nefarious scheme produce its leavening 
power. Men of sterling virtue and noble feeling will re- 
buke and despise any encouragement that is to be gath- 
ered from the assassin's dagger. I believe that its regene- 
rating power -will tend to quench the burning fires of 



8 



animosity, roorirninatio'i and resentment vvlierever they 
exist. 

Besides, let us remember that Jehovah has various in- 
strumentalities for the accomplishment of His purposes. 
!Never, in the wliole of our world's history, has rrny great 
purpose been perfected by the agency of a single individ- 
ual. And this, for the very reason that the praise might 
not be ascribed to the creature. That the Most High has 
had a great good to be accomplished through the fiery 
ordeal of a four years' warfare, a purpose worthy of all 
that it has cost to carry it forward, who can doubt? Our 
late Magistrate, having performed his part of the work, is 
removed in order that aaotlier may take his place, aiid, it 
may l»e, act as ourExecutive Head, in tiiiishing the blessed 
woik (if our country's {)urification. It was his precious 
reward that his life was spared to see the giant monster 
cri{)pled and prostrate ; his great satisfaction, that his 
])ure desires and wearing, anxious efforts and fatherly 
care for his country'^ good were so far blessed by an Al- 
mighty Sovereign. And now that his mantle has been 
taken up by his successor, let us believe that he has that 
to do as our Nation's Head which God sees that he is 
best fitted to accomplish. Charitably let us judge, patient- 
ly let us wait, earnestly let us pray that he may be guided 
and governed by the spirit of grace and wisdom. 

Truly, there is no trial that is not tempered with mercy. 
The sun is always shining upon one side of the wrathful 
cloud. We do indeed mourn to-day. Since that dread- 
ful intelligence lately flashed on the electric wire through- 
out our land, we liave all felt the crushing burden of our 
Nation's grief and bereavement. Our day's thoughts 
and our nightly sleep have been disturbed. No defeats of 
our aruiies in the field ever palsied our powers, or seemed 
to freeze the current of our Life's blood equal to this. 
IJiit what would be our condition if the whole of that dia- 
boru-al scheme had succeeded? Congress adjourned, the 
President not only, but the Vice President and every mem- 



9 



ber of the Cabinet, cold .'in death; no Federal head, no 
provision for official authority but the slow process of elec- 
tion, what to human view would have remained but dire 
anarchy, the bloody three days of the French capital re- 
newed ? " If the Lord Himself had not been on our side, 
now may Israel say, if the Lord Himself had not been on 
our side, when men rose up against us. They had swal- 
lowed us up quick, when they were so wrathfully dis- 
pleased at us. But praised be the Lord, who hath not 
given us over for a prey unto their teeth. Our soul has 
escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowler ; the snare 
is broken and we are delivered." 

Yes, delivered, but not without a precious ransom. Little 
did we suppose that our late peans of i-ejoicing would so soon 
be followed by the solemn funeral dirge ; that the memory 
of glorious victories would in a few short hours be effaced 
by so foul a deed as that which now bows the heart of a 
whole people in sorrow to the dust. Never before has 
our nation's history exhibited a crime like that which now 
sullies its pages. Never again can we boast that the 
genius of our civil institutions and our admirable polity- 
are a security to our rulers. Alas! The day has passed 
when those elected by the free suffrages of a sovereign 
people, can go out and come in without a guard, or adopt- 
ing precautions against the stealtliy assassin. True, these 
are fearful times. Times Avhen we may all assert that 
our late Magistrate was too confiding and trustful Yet, 
who of us, at such a time of general rejoicing, when every 
breeze was wafting fresh tidings of victory, when every 
eye was bright with hope and every heart buoyant with 
gladness, who of us were suspecting or fearing such a 
deadly thrust into the very heart of our National life ? 
Who anticipated such a mournful issue after the many 
perils that doubtless attended the visit of our lamented 
President to the Rebel Capital, that so soon after his 
return to that city which had been his home for the last 
four years, surrounded by friends, that he should be the 



10 



victim of a plot which fiends of the pit must have aided 
and developed. The more we dwell upon it, the more are 
we astounded and horrified at a deed which we had vainly 
supposed to be confined to brute despotisms and barbar- 
ous tribes. 

It forms a crisis in our country's history when we need 
to trust the more in one who governs the destinies of 
nations. May the altar of sacritce, so long deluged with 
the blood of precious victims, and now consecrated by 
the noble form of our beloved President, soon crumble 
into dust. Sui-ely we have noio paid the full price of our 
country's redemption. 

Gladly would we be present at that other solemn assem- 
blage now gathered in and about the Executive Mansion. 
Not to note with curious eye that vast companv of the 
great and noble, titled Ambassado-rs, illustrious statesmen, 
strong men as well as loving women, bowed in tears and 
melted in sorrow ; but because drainn thither as by a 
loadstone's power, realizing tliat we belong to a mourning 
family, from whicli the paternal head has been removed ; 
to fasten our eyes upon that pallid countenance.; to sur- 
render ourselves to such feelings as the mournful sight 
would naturally ins])ire ; to read our own duty in that face 
of death ; and then to resolve, that for the sake of present 
and future generations, we will guard at every cost the 
sacred casket of our country's liberties; we will maintain 
the integrity of a birthright bequeathed by our fathers, 
]>ure and unsullied, we will never surrender to the spoiler 
that holy heritage which belongs to posterity as well as 
ourselves ; but will guard it to the last, counting no sacri- 
fice too great for the ])reservation of a government that is 
destined to exert a mighty influence over other nations 
and peoples of the globe. 

Yea, more: Standing by the ashes of the dead, we 
would pledge ourselves to God to make a right use of His 
teaching through this mysterious dealing of His Provi- 
dence. As we now remember Him iu our grief, so in 



11 



future will we in our rejoicings. As Christian Patriots we 
vnW ascribe to Him tlie chief honor and the highest ado- 
ration in that day of Jubilee, which we trust is near at 
hand, when we may all with one accord proclaim every 
stain upon our National honor wiped away, our sacred 
heritage fully saved from the hand of the destroyer. 



'' Je 73 



I 



